Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Hello,
Starting today, HRF attorney Hina Shamsi is monitoring the important court martial of dog handler Army Sgt. Santos A. Cardona, charged with cruelty and assault committed at Abu Ghraib. The role of higher-ups (both in the military and Secretary Rumsfeld’s Office) should finally come under intense scrutiny during Cardona’s trial, which should prove very interesting to follow.
You can read Hina’s daily report from the trial by clicking here: http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/blog/cardona/index.htmOr you can go directly to the source with your questions by emailing Hina at shamsih@humanrightsfirst.org. She will be checking email periodically.
Cardona’s lawyers are expected to call Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller to the stand. Gen. Miller has been a central figure in much of the detainee abuse scandal, with many questions not fully examined regarding his role and that of the Pentagon in establishing abusive interrogation and detention policies.
It’s clear from testimony of other officers that senior leaders bear significant responsibility not only for the abuses at Abu Ghraib, but also throughout Iraq, Afghanistan and at Guantanamo Bay. We’re hoping you will help us increase public awareness about this lack of accountability – and shine a spotlight on the important proceedings as they unfold this week.
This week we hope to find out: Who ordered what? What was the policy? When were interrogation approaches like the use of dogs, sleep deprivation and nudity authorized or prohibited or permitted? Hopefully we will get some answers. We hope that you stay tuned, and that you tune in your readers as well!
Thanks so much,
Amelia Field
On behalf of Human Rights First